Growing Strawberries (from seeds)

(Fragaria)

Start inside in pots or trays after chilling seeds.. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 68°F.
(Show °C/cm)

Space plants: 12 - 39 inches apart

Harvest in approximately 1 years. Seedlings need to grow for about a year before fruiting. Remove first flowers. .

Compatible with (can grow beside): Better in a bed on their own to allow good sun and air circulation

Avoid growing close to: If you are using rotation beds, avoid putting strawberries where you have grown tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplant

Ripening fruit

Strawberry plants

Alpine strawberries are the easiest to grow from seed. They produce tiny, triangular fruit with an intense flavour.

Chill the seeds, in a closed jar or plastic box, 2 - 4 weeks in a home freezer. Allow to return to room temperature in the closed container before sowing.

Sow seeds thinly on seed raising mix/compost. Cover with a thin layer of compost and water in.
Keep under cover, either in a greenhouse or indoors near a window. Germination takes 2 to 8 weeks. Plant out into small pots to grow on when 3 leaves have appeared. Then transplant to garden when well grown.
After about a year the strawberries will form low-growing, leafy plants,between 12 - 15cm (about 6 inches) high and will spread to about 50 - 100cm (20 - 40 inches). They have five petalled flowers, usually white or sometimes pink. The flowers are followed by delicious red fruits, which have their seeds on the outside. Later in the season, the plants send out runners like thin stems, across the garden. They will take root to form new plants.

Protect your plants with some sort of netting or bird scarer or you will lose most of your crop.
Strawberries like well drained soil with plenty of humus . To prepare your bed, dig in some compost before planting and possibly use a liquid fertiliser during the growing season. Well fed strawberries taste better.
To protect the fruit from moulds, use some form of mulch around the plants. Straw, pine needles, or black plastic are all suitable. Mulch will also help suppress weeds.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Strawberries (from seeds)

Strawberries can be used in any dessert needing soft fruit or berries. Summer pudding with raspberries and blackberries or boysenberries, mousse, trifle, dipped in melted chocolate or just with cream.
Sprinkle a bowl of strawberries with balsamic vinegar and a little sugar to enhance the flavour and colour.
Straight from the garden, warmed by the sun is best.

Your comments and tips

I live in northwest nsw Australia. Our summer is hot and dry about 45 celcius max and high twenties at night.in winter our days are about 25 celcius and nights about 8. Purchased different types and colours of strawberries and want to plant them when would you recommend is the best time of the year and how long can I keep the seeds before planting them without them going to waste

Put the seeds in an air tight container in the fridge until you need them. April May June is the planting time for seeds and plants (runners). It says seeds will take until the second year before you will get a crop. With runners you will have a crop in the months following planting. I live near Bundaberg and they plant about April/May and are picking by about July-Sept

Seeds normally last a couple of years, but kept in a cool dark place they should last several years. According to this site, strawberry seeds should be sown in May to June for your climate. Shadecloth will be needed in the warmer months.

Yates have a small runnerless Alpine strawberry available. You may find some on the internet under 'heritage seeds'. Most people buy runners because they be bought in quantity, are virus free and yield within the first season.

In your area strawberries would normally be planted from August to November but I suggest you could plant them most times. They take about 11 weeks to begin fruiting. Make sure you plant your strawberries in an open, sunny position where they will get good air circulation because fruit rotting in humid areas a problem.

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department.
The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.